Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-11-25
WHY SHOULD ! BELONG TO I'll { ". c.
n
BY ESTHER T. HoUsH.
National Supt. Press Dept, W. C. I. u.

Published by request Of the w c. I. I
of Edinburg.
1t is a question busy wol men ash
each other, and ask themse Ives.
awe have all the duties there is
time and strength to perfor II. Shall
we neglect our homes and children
for the w. c. T. Up say some OF
our best women when they are ask.
ed TO become members of the Union.
There are two distinct reasons why
every intelligent Christian woman
should, because of her relation to
the home, belong to the W. G. 7, U.
LIST. Home is the centre ~
source OF life, and woman 70 tho
home keeper. Wbatev' concorns
the home, therefore is of vital I'M.
portance to her.
md Inc Enemies of home are
her enemie',, and she is called upon
to defend both it and herselfagaipst
them. Intemperance is acknowl.
edged to be the greatest enemy of
the home, the leader of vices in
whose wake many deadly foes fol-
low.
"But why IS woman called to
combat the evils Why cannot men
regulate the affairs OF the world and
leave us to the management OF the
homes p
Partly because they cannot;
partly because they will not. The
world is simply a collection of
homes, Possibly for every ten
happy aud well.Ordered households,
where man is industrious and TEN.
perate, there are FIVE where man is
improvldent and Incorporate. The
women of these homes are helpless,
the children grow up in tainted at
mosphere, and so 60 out to curse
the world by their own sinful lives,
aud by their influence conteract
much Of the good otherwise exist.
ing. 1t is very plain. The mother-
love that shields her own child
must also shield her neighbours
child. She IS prompted to do this
by her own selfpreservatiOn and
that of her home, and by that love
Christ which, for the sake
of the lost, seeks to save them.
"But intemperance has always
been combated by good men and
women. Why is the w. G. T. L.
better organization than any 9th
er%
Because it is organized mother
love, and Sin union there is
strength; )" in organization there is
power. Nearly two hundred thou.
sand Christian womenin the United
States have banded together and
say ave are the hOme-keepers
the children are Ours, the saloon is
our enemy, and the saloon must 90 d"
elbow has all this been brought
about T.
The Crusade was the first per.
sOnal work of women for temper.
ance. True, societies existed, and
much work was done in retaining
men. The Crusade wO.
men virtually said: "The drunkard
must not be made. We will pray
the saloon.keeper not to sell iDtOx.
icating drinks. We will save our
husbands and sons and brothers."
The spirit of the Lord WAS upon
them and great good was accom-
Dlished. Into the temperance work
! strong spiritual element was in-
reduced, and women were shown
he power Of organized effort. The
". G. T. Il. was the Outgrowth of
he Crusade. SO ready were wO-
men for this work that twelve
itates responded to the call for
he first National Convention, held
It Cleveland in 1874. The bless
ne of the Lord has been constant,
md the earnestness and devotion
# the women without a parallel.
The National w. G. r. L. is now
in every state and terri.
DRY, with nearly 10000 local
Unions. Much of this success is
ne the untiring labOrs of the Ma
iOnal President, Miss Frances Il.
but much also to the faith
al women who make up the rank
nd file of the army.
BY means of these Unions, the
ONES of the women themselves are
irectIy influenced, children are
etter taught, public opinion is ed
Gated, a large amount of temper
nee literature is circulated, and
le power of the liquor traffic IS
ring undermined.
What the hOme-keepers Of the
,untry decide must be done, 'cW
done. They have said temper
ice is a part Of religion, and its